Rhonda is a much-in-demand multi-instrumentalist whose journey as a musician started as a youngster playing alto saxophone, which eventually led to folk and Celtic music. For the past 20 or so years, she has branched out into strings—mainly bluegrass and old time, most recently jazz and blues. “I’ve been playing music since I was a youngster, and explored different genres, including Appalachian old-time music. This kind of music with fiddles, banjos and other stringed instruments evolved as dance music, so it was a natural progression to start putting on dances in our community.”

She leads the old-time dance band Hip to Be Square and helps organize square dances far and wide. She has been working with the Pine Tree Players in the last few years to help the theatre company as well as support live music and social dance in our community. “It’s just pure fun and movement to exciting live music, and from the bandstand I’ve never seen bigger smiles.”

She has devoted a significant amount of time to developing materials, collaborating with other musicians to educate them about the music, and travelling to other communities to share her music and dance. “Music and theatre are so important to the community, I really appreciate all of the effort that goes into these art forms that add so much to our lives.”